Gaetz rolls out $20.3B education budget proposal

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s public schools would get a $650.6 million increase in 2016-17, about a 3 percent bump over the current state budget, under a proposal state Sen. Don Gaetz released Tuesday.

A former Senate president who chairs the chamber's education appropriations subcommittee, Gaetz called his $20.3 billion proposal “historic” and “hefty.” The proposal would increase per-student funding from $7,107 to $7,249.

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Gaetz said he wasn't sure yet how much of the increase would be paid for with increased revenue from local property taxes.

But Gaetz, a Niceville Republican, said the Senate’s proposal is “as the governor has proposed it at the moment.”

Gaetz said he hopes that will change as budget negotiations continue. The chamber’s appropriations subcommittees will soon come together to solidify their overall state budget proposal.

Gaetz’s committee “has discussed the concern that we have about the disproportionate burden on property taxpayers,” he told reporters after presenting his budget plan. Senate President Andy Gardiner and appropriations committee Chairman Tom Lee “are very sensitive to that, and so we’re continuing to work on that.”

The plan includes $63 million for “preeminence funding,” a category of performance-based dollars for the state’s two research universities — the University of Florida and Florida State University. The money is meant to help the universities move up in national rankings of public universities; UF hopes to be in the top 10, and FSU, the top 25. The current state budget includes $50 million in preeminence funding, which is split equally between the two schools.

Gaetz proposed $60 million for community college performance funding, which matches Scott’s plan. That’s up for $40 million currently.

The proposal eliminated line items for educational programs such as after-school instruction provided by non-profits and instead offers $40.3 million in competitive grants for such services.

The committee will meet again Thursday to discuss the proposal, which can be found here: http://bit.ly/1QAqNyx